Curly Pondweed Potamogeton crispus

1. Curly PondweedPotamogetoncrispus Paul P. Dunay III Keystone College ENVT 315 Fall 2012

4. Distribution in United States and Canada

5. Introduction • Native to Eurasia, Africa, Australia • Possibly introduced as an aquarium ornamental or accidentally • Introduced into U.S in mid-1800s • Noxious or prohibited weed in several areas of the USA: AL, CT, WA, VT

6. Plant Identification • Potamogetonaceae • Leaves are typically finely serrated along the edges • Edges of mature leaves may be distinctly ruffled • Unique vein pattern • Inconspicuous flowers with four petal-like lobes on spikes

7. Characteristics • Submerged plant species • Fast growing perennial • Grows well in sandy, loamy and clay soils • Cold-tolerant evergreen and will grow through winter • Low-light adapted • Established early and either avoids competition or out-competes other macrophytes

8. Control Measures • Turions are easily transportable and can remain dormant for up to 2 years • Mechanical harvesting may be used to obtain some nuisance relief • P. crispusis sensitive to 2,4-D, especially during early spring • The herbicides fluridone and diquat have also been used

10. References • USDA - http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov • USDA Plants - http://plants.usda.gov • Invasive Species Compendium - http://www.cabi.org